Archer Rhodes
ARCHER RHODES EARLY LIFE Archer was born Ackerly James Rhodes to Helen Marie Ackerly Rhodes and Ronald James Rhodes in Eastman, Georgia. His parents relationship was precarious from the beginning. Being the son of a drunkard and womanizer, Archer's early childhood was filled with hardship and difficulty. His earliest memories were filled with abused from his father towards both him and his mother. So violent were some of the beatings Archer still carries some of the scars on his back. When his father finally disappeared, after a short time his mother took her young son to live with family in Decatur, GA. His life was better but in time his rebellious nature came out and, as a young teen, joined a street gang where he was continually in and out of trouble with the law. His saving grace was meeting a compassionate policeman, Richard A. Burton, who eventually became his step-father and changed Archer's life forever for the better. He challenged Archer to finish high school and attend college. Applying to several colleges his senior year he was accepted to the University of Georgia at Athens (UGA). MILITARY But when he finished high school Archer was drafted into the United States Army and attended boot camp at Ft. Benning where he learned such things as sniper training, hand-to-hand combat as well as survival training. In time he became a part of the elite Army Rangers and proudly wore the black beret. During the eight years that he served he was deployed to Vietnam and was stationed in Japan, Germany and England.At the ripe old age of 26 he left the Army and attended college CAREER & COMMUNITY His first job was teaching American and World History to 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders at Upton County High School in Nunez, Georgia. His other duties were teaching Driver's Education and coaching the football team, the Upton County Pirates. A year later he started a mentoring program for troubled youth. He also served on the Nunez City Council and the Upton County Board of Education. He was a very well thought member of society. FAMILY & HOME At age 31 Archer met Sarah Claire Hanson, a recent graduate from his Alma Mater UGA, as a nursing student. Even though he was 9 years her senior the two fell in love and married two years later. Sarah's family had lived in Upton County for several generations but had fallen upon hard times during the Great Depression and had lost the farmhouse her great-great-grandfather had built so many years ago for his new bride. Looking into it Archer found the old homestead vacant and in desperate need of attention. With some savvy negotiation he managed to buy the old farmhouse along with the original 31 acres it sat on. For the next several years Archer spent his time renovating and rebuilding the old house making it a livable home once again. His elderly mother moved in with them so he could provide for her. Eventually he earned his Master's Degree in Education by taking night classes and became the Assistant Principal and eventually the Principal at age 35. Still he continued coaching the football team, leading them to state finals twice. It was during this time that his mother died in her sleep from a heart attack. It was a great loss to Archer to loose his mother. He buried her next to his step-father in their church's cemetery. As the years went by he spent his off time farming and caring for several farm animals. With much study but a great deal of trial and error he was able to grow enough vegetables to can so that even in the winter months they were able to enjoy fresh vegetables. But by far his favorite animals were the dairy cow, Betsy. Because of her they were able to enjoy freshly churned butter, cream and wholesome milk. They also had eggs from their hens and fresh beef and pork from the pigs and small herd of cattle. Unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried or how many doctors or procedures they tried they weren't able to have children. But at age 44 Archer finally became a father. Joshua Blake Rhodes was born at 2:53 am at the local hospital weighing a healthy 8 lbs. 8 oz. Archer was happy with his family on their farm land. Things could have never have been better. THE OUTBREAK THE STRONGHOLD When Archer was 58 his only child was 14 years old when they first heard about the outbreak of a deadly disease in Atlanta that was quickly spreading. Not only did this disease sicken and quickly kill people it went further than ever could be imagined. It cause the dead person to rise and kill living people. The day soon came when Archer stayed home with his family to protect them. Setting up a perimeter of wooden spikes as well as barbed wire around their home and barn he was able to keep the walking dead at bay for nearly a year. But when Sarah and Josh went into the woods to hunt for for mushrooms. When Sarah brought Josh back after he had been bitten on the arm by a child walker. Sarah stayed with him day and night doing her best to doctor him, doing all she knew to break his fever. The next morning when Archer woke up he went in to check on them both he found they both had died and changed some time during the night. He had the sad task of finishing them off and then he buried them in the backyard. ISOLATION For months Archer stayed alone in the farmhouse locked away from the outside world, his only consolation were the framed photographs of Saran and Josh above the fireplace in the front room. He even maintained the home like Sarah did keeping it neat and tidy. He even helped a few people that came by seeking a safe place for a few days or weeks, but then the day came by when no one stopped for help. Days turned into weeks and Archer slowly began to come unraveled emotionally and mentally. The only solution he could think of was suicide. Only verge of putting a pistol in his mouth and pulling the trigger he had an epiphany. Could there possibly be other people alive somewhere? With that one thought in mind Archer loaded up several of his rifles and pistols and loaded them into his old red pick-up truck and drove 17 miles into town to the Wal-Mart where he met a young Japanese soldier who had been training in the United States when the outbreak happened. Explaining to Archer that he had heard of a safe place called Nunez he convinced Archer to travel with him to find the compound. Archer gladly accepted his invitation. NUNEZ The Nunez Compound had originally been built as a factory that made mayonnaise. It has large storage areas where jars were once sterilized, the product made, packaged and shipped. There was a garage area where delivery trucks had once been parked, fueled and maintained. Rows of solar panels cover the roof producing electricity for the factory. It even boasted its having its own water reclamation area. Many years later after the factory closed it was used as a self-storage warehouse. Much later it was bought by a company that turned the once factory into a gated community with apartments for artists and the well-to-do. Today it is used by the survivors of the walking death. NEW FAMILY Four year old Ellie Gunn and her mother came to Nunez to seek safety. Archer allowed them inside where the little girl thrived and seemed to have taken a liking to him. He became very fond of the girl and even called her his granddaughter as she seemed in desperate need of love and attention. Unfortunately her died many months later during an attack on Nunez Ellie's mother was killed. Afterwards he took the child as his very own blood and called her his granddaughter and gave her his name. Her full name now is Elizabeth Madison Rhodes. Now she lives with him and calls herself Ellie Rhodes. He never mentions her mother but is willing to help her to understand what happened to her. But hopes that as time goes on, the things that happened to her as a small child will be forgotten and healed and that Ellie and children like her will one day rise up and take back the world. But until that day comes, he will care for her and do his very best to protect her and love her as though she really was his own flesh and blood. Fact is, as far as he's concerned, she is his flesh and blood. Along with Lester and Ben, her cat and dog, she has decided they will have her last name, also, and that is perfectly alright with Archer. Then one day a young woman showed up at the Nunez gates saying her name was Spencer Rhodes and could she come inside. even for a night. Intrigued, Archer allowed her inside. Over a meal he interrogated her, but made it sound as though he was being friendly. Listening to her personal history he found out that her father was Chris Rhodes, son of James Rhodes, Archer's own father who had disappeared when he was seven years old. As it turned out her father was Archer's half brother and Spencer was his niece. It was then he began to wonder how many other family members he had out there wandering around in need of help. He of course let him move into his three bedroom apartment along with Ellie and her pets.